Review: THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND Volume 1

THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Kousuke Oono
TRANSLATION: Sheldon Drzka
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Jennifer LeBlanc
LETTERS: Bianco Pistillo
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0940-3; paperback (September 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
168pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Gokushufudou is the debut manga from creator, Kousuke Oono.  It was serialized in the magazine, Kurage Bunch.  VIZ Media is publishing the manga in English as a series of graphic novels, entitled The Way of the Househusband, under its “VIZ Signature” imprint.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 9) introduces Tacchan Tatsu.  Once upon a time, Tatsu was a Yakuza boss, a man so feared that he was known as “The Immortal Dragon.”  Now, Tatsu is married to Miku, a career woman.  Now, the Immortal Dragon is a “househusband!”  But when he is reunited with Masa, a former underling, Tatsu realizes that the world of the Yakuza is not quite ready to let him go.

[This volume includes three bonus manga stories: “Gin's Walk,” “This is Masa Style,” and “Let's Have a Fair Fight.”]

I found The Way of the Househusband manga to be a delightful read.  It is so odd, but that can be a good thing, which it is in this instance.

The Way of the Househusband Graphic Novel Volume 1 introduces readers to the simple, everyday world of Tatsu, the one fashioned by creator Kousuke Oono.  That world is about cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and eventually DIY crafts for the housewife.  Sheldon Drzka's translation and Jennifer LeBlanc's English adaptation capture the straight-forward dialogue and also this story's undercurrent of sly wit and slight goofiness.

Oono's art is offbeat compared to most manga art; the illustrations seem like something out of a Western alternative comics title.  However, Oono captures the interior and exterior world of Japan in excellent detail.  Tatsu and Miku's apartment looks like a real living space, and the grocery stores and shopping mall spaces... well, they make me feel like I am in some place where actually people shop and consume more than they need.

Of course, this is only Vol. 1.  Still, I find myself drawn into this “VIZ Signature” title, The Way of the Househusband, and I am always up for an interesting spin on the domestic comedy.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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